Dollar General History and Growth
- Dollar General originated in Scottsville, Kentucky, with James Luther J.L. Turner and his son Cal Turner.
- In 1939, James and Cal opened J.L. Turner and Son with an initial investment of $5,000 each.
- By the early 1950s, annual sales exceeded $2 million, and by the mid-1950s, Turner had 35 department stores.
- Dollar General Corporation went public in 1968, with annual sales of over $40 million and net income exceeding $1.5 million.
- Under Cal Turner Jr.'s leadership, Dollar General grew to over 6,000 stores and $6 billion in sales.
- Dollar General entered the grocery market with the establishment of Dollar General Market in 2003.
- Dollar General opened its first DGX concept store in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2017, targeting urban shoppers.
- Dollar General opened its first pOpshelf stores in Tennessee in 2020, offering items mostly priced under $5.
- Dollar General announced plans to hire 20,000 employees in April 2021.
- Dollar General opened its first store in Idaho in March 2022.
- Dollar General planned to have 50 free-standing pOpshelf locations and 25 store-within-a-store locations by the end of 2021.
Dollar General Sponsorships
- Dollar General has had a connection with motorsports, particularly in NASCAR.
- Dollar General sponsored Brian Vickers in the Nationwide Series in 2013.
- Dollar General became a primary sponsor for Matt Kenseth in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013.
- Dollar General sponsored races in the Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
- Dollar General was the title sponsor for Nationwide Series races held in Charlotte, Chicagoland, and Phoenix.
- Dollar General sponsored cars for Frank Cicci Racing and Kevin Harvick Incorporated.
- Dollar General became a primary sponsor for owner/driver Sarah Fisher's Sarah Fisher Racing team in the IndyCar Series.
- Dollar General sponsored part-time drivers Fisher and Graham Rahal in the IndyCar Series.
- Dollar General became the sponsor of the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
Dollar General Merchandise
- Dollar General sells products from national name brands like Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola.
- Dollar General expanded its product offerings to include healthier options from brands like Kashi and Kind.
- Dollar General offers produce assortments in over 650 stores, with plans to expand to 400 more stores.
- Dollar General has private brands like Clover Valley (groceries) and Studio Selection (beauty and skin care).
- Dollar General offers a variety of private brand products including groceries, health foods, beauty care, pet food, and apparel.
- Dollar General became the exclusive retailer for Rexall products in March 2010.
- Dollar General offers a full line of Rexall products in its stores.
Dollar General Financial Irregularities and Legal Issues
- Dollar General Corp was liable for making false statements or failing to disclose adverse facts about the company's financial results.
- Paid $162 million for settlement.
- Restated earnings for the past three fiscal years due to accounting irregularities.
- Allegations of fraudulent behavior.
- Restated results for 2000 through 2003 due to a clarification of lease-accounting matters issued by the SEC.
- Fined $51,700 by OSHA following an inspection of a Brooklyn, Mississippi, branch.
- 72 inspections conducted by OSHA since 2009.
- 39 inspections resulted in citations.
- Fined $107,620 for exposing employees to the risk of electrical hazards.
- Fined over $1 million for price irregularities in North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arizona.
- Fined $1.75 million by the state of Vermont for charging higher prices at the register than advertised.
- Lawsuit brought by the State of Ohio for deceptive pricing.
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation makes the largest one-day grant announcement to support national literacy programs.
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards more than $8.3 million to more than 1,000 schools, nonprofits, and literacy organizations.
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation announces nearly $9.2 million commitment to literacy in May.
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation about us.
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation impact on communities.
Note: Some subtopics did not have enough bullet list items to form a comprehensive group.
Dollar General Corporation is an American chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of October 2, 2023, Dollar General operates 19,414 stores in the continental United States and Mexico.
 Logo since 2009 | |
 Dollar General corporate headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tennessee | |
| Formerly | J.L. Turner and Son |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| NYSE: DG S&P 500 Component | |
| Industry | Discount retailer |
| Founded | October 1939 (as J.L. Turner and Son) June 1955 (as Dollar General) |
| Founders | James Luther Turner Cal Turner |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 19,414 stores (January 1, 2023) |
Areas served | United States (except for Alaska and Hawaii), Mexico |
Key people | Michael M. Calbert (Chairman) Todd Vasos (CEO) John W. Garratt (CFO) |
| Products | Clothing, cleaning supplies, home decor, health & beauty aids, pet supplies, toys, seasonal items, and grocery. |
| Revenue |  US$37.885 Billion (Fiscal Year Ended February 3, 2023) |
| US$3.328 Billion (Fiscal Year Ended February 3, 2023) | |
| US$2.416 Billion (Fiscal Year Ended February 3, 2023) | |
| Total assets | US$29.083 Billion (Fiscal Year Ended February 3, 2023) |
| Total equity |  US$5.542 Billion (Fiscal Year Ended February 3, 2023) |
Number of employees | 170,000 (2023) |
| Divisions | Dollar General Market DGX Popshelf |
| Subsidiaries | Dolgencorp, LLC. Old East Main Co. Dollar General Financial Dollar General Global Sourcing Dollar General Literacy Foundation |
| Website | www |
The company began in 1939 as a family-owned business called J.L. Turner and Son in Scottsville, Kentucky, owned by James Luther Turner and Cal Turner. In 1955, the name changed to Dollar General Corporation and in 1968 the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Fortune 500 recognized Dollar General in 1999 and in 2020 reached #112. Dollar General has grown to become one of the most profitable stores in the rural United States with revenue reaching around $27 billion in 2019.
